<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Five Times Rangiku Accidentally Kissed Her Captain by Geishaaa</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24037999">Five Times Rangiku Accidentally Kissed Her Captain</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geishaaa/pseuds/Geishaaa'>Geishaaa</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Bleach</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>5+1 Things, Accidental Kissing, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Related, Drunken Kissing, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Getting Together, HitsuMatsu - Freeform, Kissing, Romance, Spin the Bottle, Undercover Missions</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 15:41:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,281</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24037999</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geishaaa/pseuds/Geishaaa</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>and one time she did it on purpose.</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>How does a person accidentally kiss someone? Short of tripping and falling lips first onto them, it seemed impossible. But hey, that’s what had happened. Five damn times in fact, including a time when Rangiku had indeed literally fallen lips first onto her captain. It was possible, you know!<br/>Yes, she had accidentally kissed her boss five times, but none of them were her fault!<br/>Okay, maybe some were her fault.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hitsugaya Toushirou/Matsumoto Rangiku</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>81</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Five Times Rangiku Accidentally Kissed Her Captain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey all! I'm back with yet another HitsuMatsu piece! Why? Well because it is The Seireitei Discord Server’s annual HitsuMatsu Week for 2020, of course! And let’s face it, this pairing is LIFE.<br/>Please enjoy and see notes below if you’re interested in joining our beautiful Bleach community server :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>How does a person accidentally kiss someone? Short of tripping and falling lips first onto them, it seemed impossible. But hey, that’s what had happened. Five damn times in fact, including a time when Rangiku had indeed literally fallen lips first onto her captain. It was possible, you know!</p>
<p>Yes, she had accidentally kissed her boss five times, but none of them were her fault!</p>
<p>Okay, maybe some were her fault.</p><hr/>
<p>1.</p>
<p>
  <em>The first time had been a pure accident – not at all Rangiku’s fault. </em>
</p>
<p>They had been training.</p>
<p>Hyorinmaru’s blade sliced down towards her and Rangiku grunted, jumping out of the way just in time.</p>
<p>“Captain,” she complained, voice whining in the way she knew he hated. “You almost took off a couple of inches off my hair that time.”</p>
<p>Toshiro’s movements were quick, his body continuing through the motion and swinging his sword at her from another direction. Rangiku yelped and dodged, again only just missing the tip of the blade.</p>
<p>“An Arrancar won’t hesitate to attack you because you’re worried about your hair, Matsumoto,” Toshiro bit. “It should be tied up, anyway.”</p>
<p>Arrancars – the bane of every Soul Reaper’s existence. Aizen was long gone and thankfully the Espada too, but the odd surviving Arrancar still caused trouble as they tried to reorganise the Hueco Mundo Hollows. They weren’t Espada-level powerful but they were still far stronger than standard Hollows and the other Menos types.</p>
<p>“Oh no, I couldn’t possibly tie up my hair, Captain,” Rangiku said, ignoring the first comment and finally finding her step with Haineko. She parried Hyorinmaru’s next attack with more grace. “I haven’t got the face for it.”</p>
<p>Toshiro’s eyes rolled for a second, but he didn’t miss a moment of her transition to attacking, blocking her sword with ease and swiping back at her.</p>
<p>They were sparring out in the Division Ten training grounds. It was hot, almost uncomfortably so, but Rangiku had fought Toshiro tooth and nail for them to train outside instead of in the stuffy old halls. She claimed that most fights against Hollows would occur outside so they might as well train in the relevant environment, but really it was just an excuse to get fresh air so her hangover would ease off.</p>
<p>Toshiro, being the ice type Soul Reaper he was, was clearly feeling the effects of the heat – not that it hindered his attack any. He had stripped of his haori and black kosode top a long time ago, and sweat laced his entire torso, but still he couldn’t be slowed in battle. Rangiku too had ditched her scarf and top and was now bouncing around in her training bra. Toshiro had sighed when she took her shirt off, but if he had complaints, he didn’t voice them.</p>
<p>Another slice, another block, Rangiku eventually found her footing and lunged, only for Toshiro to knock her over. The blonde lieutenant huffed and rolled out of it, getting to her feet in an instant.</p>
<p>“You have been slacking off, Matsumoto,” Toshiro stated, unimpressed. “Your fighting ability is nowhere near where a lieutenant’s should be.”</p>
<p>Rangiku pouted and swung her sword around again.</p>
<p>“I had a big night last night, Captain,” she whined. “It was Izuru’s birthday, you know? I couldn’t let him drink alone.”</p>
<p>Especially not since Gin had-</p>
<p>Well, it had been a comfort for them both to spend some time together, even if it was a sad day drinking and Rangiku eating her weight in tortilla chips.</p>
<p>“An Arrancar doesn’t care whose birthday it is,” Toshiro pointed out,<em> again</em>, “and they certainly won’t take it easy on you because you have a hangover.”</p>
<p>He came at her with his sword and Rangiku squealed, dodging it, again only just. This time however, Rangiku’s ankle rolled and she cried out in pain, her sword falling from her hand as her legs collapsed beneath her.</p>
<p>“Matsumoto,” Toshiro yelped in surprise, dropping his own sword as he reached out to catch her.</p>
<p>Maybe it was the suddenness of her fall, or the fact she was still larger than her captain (thanks for that, tortilla chips), but his strength did not hold up against her and the young captain crumpled beneath her.</p>
<p>Rangiku landed on top of her captain; her chest on top of his chest, her legs tangled with his legs, and unfortunately, <em>her lips on his lips.</em></p>
<p>How that last bit had happened Rangiku had no idea. That type of thing didn’t just happen, maybe in a human movie but not real life. Alas, here she was, her lips wrapped around her captain’s and only pressing further while the rest of her weight came down on him.</p>
<p>“Oh my gods!” Rangiku shrieked, quickly scrambling to get off her boss.</p>
<p>It was a disaster though. She tried to get up but the hand she put her weight on to push up slid out from under her, causing Rangiku to fall back on her captain and this time head butt him.</p>
<p>“Matsumoto!”</p>
<p>“Sorry!”</p>
<p>But the second time Rangiku tried to get up, she brought her knee to far up and accidentally kneed him in the groin. Instantly, Toshiro grunted in pain, his body trying to curl up instinctively, only for Rangiku and him to head butt again, and Rangiku was pretty sure she accidentally bit his nose in the process.</p>
<p>There was another pained groaned as Toshiro’s head fell back against the grass. Rangiku froze, her face stuck in an empathetic wince, her knee still dangerously close to his… uh, private area. She was almost too scared to try again, in case she injured him further… or you know, accidentally kissed the man again.</p>
<p>“Don’t move,” Toshiro ordered, through gritted teeth and a clenched jaw.</p>
<p>Rangiku didn’t dare move, let alone breathe in case she accidentally crushed his rib cage or something.</p>
<p>The lieutenant felt hands on her waist and slowly Toshiro lifted her off him with strength he certainly hadn’t had when they went down together, and rolled Rangiku off his body and onto the grass next to him.</p>
<p>They laid there for a few moments in awkward silence, not looking at each other. Rangiku was glad for that at least, so that her captain couldn’t see the horrific shade of red her face had gone.</p>
<p>She had accidentally kissed her captain – her boss! Oh gods, now that hangover seemed like the least of her problems.</p>
<p>“We’re never speaking of this,” Toshiro said at last. It was a statement, an order, and certainly not a suggestion.</p>
<p>Rangiku nodded her affirmation and satisfied, Toshiro stood up, collected his sword and strode away quickly without another word. Rangiku, on the other hand, stayed laying in the grass, praying for an early death or at the very least, a giant glass of wine.</p>
<p>Accidentally kissing her boss could only happen to her.</p><hr/>
<p>2.</p>
<p>
  <em>The second time Rangiku had accidentally kissed her boss, it was only partially her fault. The rest came down to a love-struck teenager and a stupid amount of peer pressure.</em>
</p>
<p>They had been on a mission in the Living World. In Karakura Town, of course, because where else would trouble stir? Thankfully the mission had been resolved quicker than expected, and Rangiku had been able to convince Orihime to throw a party for her friends and the mission squad to celebrate such an achievement before they were due back to the Seireitei the next day.</p>
<p>The party was going very well. Even Toshiro didn’t look totally miserable, which was saying something for the man who hated parties and just about anything that involved his lieutenant around alcohol.</p>
<p>“That Sara girl is very nice, isn’t she?” Orihime commented to Rangiku as they stood by the food table, scoffing down the party treats they had made for the occasion. No one else had touched them yet but Rangiku thought they were to die for. Tuna chip cookies? Who’d have thought they would be so delicious!</p>
<p>“Oh yeah, she’s new!” Rangiku’s eyes lit up. “She’s the new third seat for Squad Eight and Captain Kyoraku thought she could use the mission experience. Captain Hitsugaya was happy to take her.”</p>
<p>“Do you think Captain Hitsugaya likes her?” Orihime asked excitedly, nodding her head towards the living room.</p>
<p>Rangiku glanced over. Around the room, the human teenagers interacted with the centuries old Soul Reapers. Ichigo and Renji arm wrestled, while Rukia and Yumichika fawned over some bunny print fabric that Ikkaku had been forced into by Keigo’s older sister, Mizuho. Everyone was having a great time, but it was her captain sitting on the window sill and smiling shyly at the new girl Sara that had Rangiku’s attention.</p>
<p>Sara was pretty – blonde (like Rangiku) and petite (not like Rangiku). She was outgoing, confident, and playful. She was also a hard worker, and Nanao had sung nothing but praise for her.</p>
<p>Sara laughed loudly and hysterically and Rangiku knew instantly that the young third seat had a crush on her mission leader. Toshiro was not <em>that </em>funny – not even to Rangiku who actually got his sarcastic sense of humour. Toshiro too was smiling softly and that was so rare it was almost like finding a sober Captain Kyoraku, awake and working diligently at his desk.</p>
<p><em>Oh</em>. Rangiku smirked.<em> Okay</em>. She could help here, and no doubt her captain would need it. The lieutenant was certain that the man had never flirted a day in his afterlife, let alone actually managed to kiss a woman – well, one that hadn’t accidentally fallen lips first on him. Again, purely accidental – They still didn’t speak about it and it had been over a month ago.</p>
<p>Determined to help her captain find love, and also maybe to embarrass him just a little, Rangiku formulated a quick plan. She grabbed an empty wine bottle from the kitchen and muttered a quick kido spell over the thing to mess with the weight distribution.</p>
<p>“Time for Spin the Bottle!” Rangiku declared, jumping back into the living room excitedly.</p>
<p>Yumichika clapped his hands excitedly, shooting Ikkaku a smirk as the bald man’s forehead ticked and Mizuho hugged his neck tightly. Rangiku also didn’t miss the conspicuous glance Orihime threw Ichigo, nor the slight blush on Rukia’s face as Renji teased her.</p>
<p>They formed a circle on the carpet, all finding their places to sit. Rangiku grabbed Toshiro and forced him to sit down between Yumichika and Orihime – the man looked unamused but not fearful, so Rangiku suspected he didn’t know what a game of ‘Spin the Bottle’ actually entailed just yet. As subtly as she could Rangiku managed to get certain players into position, grabbing Sara to sit beside her and directly opposite Toshiro. The woman looked keen to play, and Rangiku assumed that was because she knew exactly what ‘Spin the Bottle’ involved.</p>
<p>“Wonderful,” Rangiku beamed, feeling very proud of herself to get everyone in the right spots around the circle without suspicion.</p>
<p>Everyone sat directly opposite the person they would have to kiss. Thanks to Rangiku’s cheeky kido spell, the lieutenant had rigged the game so the bottle, when spun, would stop directly 180 degrees from its’ starting position.</p>
<p>Ichigo would kiss Orihime, just as Orihime wanted. Renji would kiss Rukia, just as Rangiku suspected they both wanted. Ikkaku would kiss Mizuho, which was probably not what he wanted but someone had to take one for the team. Rangiku would kiss Yumichika but he was already in love with himself, so it wouldn’t mean anything to either of them. Most importantly, Toshiro would have to kiss Sara.</p>
<p>Yes, that’s right, Rangiku was a genius, <em>thank you very much.</em></p>
<p>One problem though; she hadn’t factored in Mizuho’s ridiculous attachment issues.</p>
<p>“I want to sit with my boo,” she announced with a girly squeal and before Rangiku could protest, she was squeezing herself in beside Ikkaku.</p>
<p>“Alright let’s all move over,” Renji suggested to his side of the circle, as poor Orihime was almost having to climb into Toshiro’s lap to give Mizuho room.</p>
<p>“N-no,” Rangiku protested weakly but she was ignored, as everyone between Mizuho’s new spot and Mizuho’s old spot were forced to move over one.</p>
<p>Rangiku blanched at the new set up.</p>
<p>Rukia was opposite Yumichika, Ikkaku was opposite Renji, Mizuho was opposite Ichigo, Orihime was opposite Sara, and worst of all, Rangiku was opposite Toshiro!</p>
<p>And Rangiku had rigged the damn bottle to land on the person sitting opposite.</p>
<p>“Oh shit,” she muttered, reaching for the bottle quickly, trying to remove it and hopefully replace it with an un-cursed bottle before anyone noticed.</p>
<p>“Rangiku’s turn,” Yumichika clapped excitedly and everyone turned to look at her. The lieutenant froze, bottle in hand – from this position, it looked like she had been about to spin it.</p>
<p>Rangiku couldn’t mutter a counter-spell, everyone would hear it.</p>
<p>“Actually I’ve changed my mind,” Rangiku flushed. “I don’t think this game is appropriate.”</p>
<p>Renji snorted, “Like you care what’s appropriate. Spin the bottle, Matsumoto!”</p>
<p>“Please!” Ikkaku gritted out, the bald man leaning as far out of Mizuho’s grasp as possible, ignoring Ichigo’s less than discreet snigger.</p>
<p>“No, I really-” Rangiku began, feeling her face get hotter by the minute.</p>
<p>“Just get on with it, Matsumoto,” Toshiro sighed opposite her. That poor, ignorant fool had no idea what was to come.</p>
<p>“Yeah, come on!” Renji called as everyone else joined in to cheer her on. They were yelling and clapping, and Rangiku just panicked.</p>
<p>“Okay!” she shrieked, putting the bottle back down harshly (unfortunately it didn’t shatter beneath her flustered grip).</p>
<p>She spun the bottle with extra strength, hoping to throw off the kido spell somehow. The bottle spun wildly as everyone cheered madly, but no matter how much Rangiku prayed to every Soul Society god and goddess she could remember, the bottle slowed and eventually halted, pointing directly at Toshiro.</p>
<p>A little part of Rangiku died inside in that moment. Beside her, she felt Sara deflate a little.</p>
<p>
  <em>Me too, Sweetie.</em>
</p>
<p>Everyone gasped as the bottle stopped on the captain, and then cheers erupted tenfold. A captain kissing her lieutenant was thrilling gossip to bear witness to – such a scandal. Rangiku would have been wildly cheering too, if it were any other captain-lieutenant duo (well… with certain exceptions).</p>
<p>Toshiro raised an eyebrow at it.</p>
<p>“What now?” he asked, clearly no idea what game they were playing.</p>
<p>“You and Rangiku have to kiss,” Ichigo supplied in a sing-sing tone, with the widest grin Rangiku had ever seen on the usually rather sullen teenager.</p>
<p>“We have to what?!” Toshiro spluttered in shock as Rangiku winced. He turned to glare at her. “Did you know these were the rules?”</p>
<p>“No,” Rangiku lied quickly, but not even she thought she sounded convincing. “Not at all.”</p>
<p>“It was your idea!”</p>
<p>“No it wasn’t.”</p>
<p>“Just kiss!” Renji boomed over everyone, and soon everyone was chanting for them to kiss. Well, everyone except Rangiku, Toshiro and also Sara, who shifted uncomfortably.</p>
<p>Rangiku half expected Toshiro to simply storm from the room, if not call his Bankai up on everyone, but instead Rangiku had to watch in horror as the commander clenched his jaw in annoyance and made a gesture for her to come over to him.</p>
<p>Was he actually going to go through with this?</p>
<p>His hand reached out and he gave her a come hither motion with his finger that was definitely filled with anger and not lust.</p>
<p>Their audience continued to chant only getting louder and louder, and Rukia very unhelpfully pushed Rangiku harshly into the centre of the circle. Tense, Rangiku crawled the rest of the way over to her captain, who was now pinching the bridge of his nose and muttering obscenities under his breath. His eyes were clenched closed, cheeks flushed. Rangiku could feel the anger and embarrassment in his spiritual pressure which she knew only she could feel after working so closely with the man.</p>
<p>She stopped in front of him, kneeling by his crossed legs. Toshiro seemed to sense she was there, and only after a moment’s hesitation, he reached for face and pulled her in for a kiss.</p>
<p>Close lipped, held back, tense. Just about as tender as their first accidental kiss.</p>
<p>“You’ve got to use tongue!” Renji called out over the cheers.</p>
<p>Rangiku went to protest that tongue use wasn’t in the rules at all, but Toshiro, being the oblivious man he was, just followed Renji’s call without question. Likely he just wanted the whole thing over and done with – satisfy the group and move onto the next pairing that would have to kiss.</p>
<p>His tongue slipped into Rangiku’s mouth that had opened to protest and he pulled her in closer to reach better. For a moment, Rangiku froze. This was… not a bad kiss at all.</p>
<p>
  <em>Damn, her captain had kissing game!</em>
</p>
<p>Unintentionally, Rangiku relaxed into the kiss for a moment. It was warm, way warmer than she would have expected from an ice type Soul Reaper. He was gentle with her, but the kiss certainly wasn’t weak, and when it was over, Rangiku felt oddly disappointed she couldn’t have kissed him longer.</p>
<p>“There,” Toshiro said when he pulled away from her. He was red in the face, he wouldn’t look at her. “Is the game done now?”</p>
<p>“My turn!” Rukia called over everyone and Rangiku was harshly shoved back into her spot by the younger Kuchiki so she could reach for the discarded bottle.</p>
<p>While Rukia spun the bottle, and Rangiku already knew it was going to land on Yumichika, she instead tried to glance up at Toshiro. The captain met her eye for just a second but it was a second too long and the captain stood abruptly and left the circle. Next to Rangiku, Sara’s saddened gaze followed Toshiro out the door.</p>
<p>The game continued on painfully, as people who were never supposed to kiss each other had to kiss each other. It stopped eventually, when Renji and Ikkaku refused to kiss each other, and when Mizuho threw a tantrum because Ikkaku’s bottle spin hadn’t landed on her.</p>
<p>The whole thing had been a disaster.</p><hr/>
<p>3.</p>
<p>
  <em>All things come in threes? Rangiku had to blame fate, or at least her job, on how she accidentally ended up kissing her captain for the third time.</em>
</p>
<p>They were working undercover in one of the more populated Rukon Districts, just Rangiku and Toshiro. There had been reports of Arrancars in the residential areas of the Rukongai, which was a huge concern, so the Head Captain had sent the captain and lieutenant teams out to patrol and investigate. It was very unlikely any Soul Reaper of a third seat rank or below could face an Arrancar alone and survive.</p>
<p>Dressed in casual yukatas, Toshiro and Rangiku walked the streets, feeling for any unusual spiritual activity, their Zanpakutos strapped to them but disguised with a Twelfth Division cloaking device. People shot them funny looks as they walked by, but mostly because they were strangers, not because they suspected they were Soul Reapers (not a lot of love out in the Rukongai for them, unfortunately).</p>
<p>“Have you seen Sara much since our mission to the Living World, Captain?” Rangiku asked, feeling like they should make conversation, if only to look like regular friends in the street rather than a pair of Soul Reapers on patrol.</p>
<p>It had been a few months since their mission to the Living World, and since their regretful ‘Spin the Bottle’ kiss – another thing they never spoke about.</p>
<p>“No,” Toshiro answered, voice giving nothing away. “Why I would I have? She’s not in our squad.”</p>
<p>“But she’s cute, right?” Rangiku giggled, pushing things. “Didn’t you like her?”</p>
<p>“She’s a good officer,” Toshiro murmured, eyes focusing straight ahead. “There’s definitely something there.”</p>
<p>“I knew it!” Rangiku squealed. “Oh my gods, you should ask her out, Captain!”</p>
<p>“What?” Toshiro choked, whipping around. “No. I mean, there’s something <em>there.”</em></p>
<p>He pointed at the large abandoned building up ahead, that appeared to be an old factory of sorts.</p>
<p>“There’s multiple spiritual pressures inside,” Toshiro continued, turning back around to face the building. “Strong ones.”</p>
<p>Rangiku frowned at where he was pointing and focused for a moment. She felt them then; one, two, three, maybe even four or five spiritual pressures were inside – evil ones.</p>
<p>“We’re outnumbered,” Rangiku murmured. “If they’re Arrancars, that could be dangerous.”</p>
<p>Not just to them, but to the civilian residents living in the surrounding township.</p>
<p>“Come on,” Toshiro murmured, cautiously stepping towards the factory. “We can investigate first.”</p>
<p>And call for back up, if necessary.</p>
<p>It was left unsaid but Rangiku knew that was the plan.</p>
<p>They moved with stealth now, slipping into the shadows and staying out of the open as they made their way closer to the decrepit building. They spied a broken window on the ground floor that might be their ticket inside since the front door was all chained up, and headed towards it. They reached the window and glanced inside – it was an empty room. Perfect entry point, other than the fact it was a broken window bordered in deadly sharp shards of glass, the opening of which Rangiku didn’t expect her big butt to get through without cutting it to ribbons.</p>
<p>“I’ll go in, see if I can open this window up properly from the inside,” Toshiro murmured, as if reading her thoughts. “I don’t want you climbing through glass.”</p>
<p>Her ass wouldn’t fit, let alone her chest, but her captain would never make her feel that way.</p>
<p>Just as Toshiro was about to climb up and in, they heard voices approaching – at least two, all of them with Las Noches accents; old friends of Aizen’s.</p>
<p>Toshiro looked at Rangiku in alarm, knowing it was already too late for them to hide or run – they couldn’t risk a flash step either, less they actually wanted the Arrancars to feel their spiritual pressure.</p>
<p>Rangiku did the only thing she could thing of – something she had seen on Orihime’s television once.</p>
<p>Grabbing Toshiro by the collar of his pale blue yukata, Rangiku slammed the man back into the factory wall and crushed her lips so hard against his, it wasn’t funny.</p>
<p>Again, she would class this as an accidental kiss; a panic move for a panic situation – nothing more than a lieutenant doing her job.</p>
<p>The voices got louder so Rangiku pressed herself up against Toshiro’s body, and deepened the kiss when Toshiro gasped in surprise. His hands gripped her purple yukata at the waist and drew her in closer as he kissed her back fiercely, lips moving frantically as he clearly clocked onto her thought train. They were too far down the rabbit hole now and just had to commit to their performance.</p>
<p>Rangiku would have been lying if she said that this kiss wasn’t absolute <em>fire</em>. It was hotter than her Zanpakuto and she melted into him, moaning just a little. It was a surprise, though a welcomed one, when her captain’s hand snaked around to her curvaceous butt and squeezed her cheek gently.</p>
<p>It felt amazing and she was so lost in it that almost couldn’t hear the voices anymore.</p>
<p>“Ahem,” someone cleared their throat and Rangiku pulled back from Toshiro in an instant.</p>
<p>Feeling her eyes go wide, Rangiku must have looked like she had been caught doing something she wasn’t supposed to be doing. In truth, that was exactly the case.</p>
<p>Two men stood before them. They were Vasto Lorde, no doubt about it, though they weren’t wearing the Arrancar uniform. One was tall and slender with pitch black hair and serious frown, while the other was short and plump, with light brown curls – that latter seemed far friendlier but neither were to be messed with. Rangiku could feel Haineko at her side but had to resist from holding the hilt in preparation for a battle.</p>
<p>“Just a horny couple,” the shorter Arrancar chuckled, nudging the other. “Told you there was nothing to worry about.”</p>
<p>“Get off our land,” the tall Arrancar ordered, unamused. “You’re trespassing.”</p>
<p>Behind them, Rangiku spotted another three more Arrancars approaching slowly. All of them had Zanpakutos strapped to their hips and all of them had deadly spiritual pressures.</p>
<p>“Sorry about that,” Toshiro’s voice said calmly and Rangiku glanced at him. His lips were swollen and his cheeks were red. “We’ll go now.”</p>
<p>He grabbed Rangiku’s hand and let her away hurriedly. The Arrancars called some vile things after them but Toshiro didn’t stop or turn back until they were back in the shadows.</p>
<p>“We can’t face them all by ourselves,” he muttered, pulling out his soul phone. “There are too many civilian lives to risk.”</p>
<p>Rangiku nodded but her mind was still on the kiss. Her lips burned and she touched them gently with her fingers to make sure they weren’t actually on fire like they felt. Toshiro continued to talk, his brain formulating a plan while his fingers hastily typed a mission update to send out to the other teams – nothing more than a captain doing his job.</p><hr/>
<p>4.</p>
<p>
  <em>It was hard to believe that one could have kissed someone four times and have all four times being a complete and total accident, yet here Rangiku was. Again. </em>
</p>
<p>Rangiku glanced up at Toshiro over her magazine. He was asleep in the uncomfortable plastic hospital chair, completely exhausted but refusing to leave her side.</p>
<p><em>Silly Captain</em>, Rangiku was fine. She was just staying in for observation, even Captain Unohana said she was out of the danger zone. Still, it was nice for the company. Not that a sleeping Toshiro was very chatty (not that an awake one was either), but just his presence was comforting. His familiar spiritual pressure, his deep and even breathing, and the weight of his head and arms on the bed beside her thigh were nice to feel after such a hectic battle against the Arrancars.</p>
<p>Also a sleeping captain couldn’t discuss the awkward accidental kiss that had happened earlier. This time Rangiku blamed the Arrancars, and also the concussion she had received.</p>
<p>They had called for backup after finding the five Arrancars in the Rukongai, and had received Zaraki, Ikkaku and Rukia for help, along with Isane who was coming mostly to evacuate the civilians and help the fighters with their injuries they would no doubt receive from facing such strong opponents. It was five against five, and seemed easy enough, except that Rangiku had forgotten that her fighting ability was nowhere near where a lieutenant’s should be, as her captain had pointed out all those months ago.</p>
<p>The whole battle had been wild. Spiritual pressure crackled everywhere, buildings became piles of rubble and the neighbouring forest had been flattened. They hadn’t had time to plan an attack strategy of course, because Zaraki’s spiritual pressure was too obvious for the Arrancar team to ignore.</p>
<p>“Why did they send me you?” Toshiro shot Zaraki an unimpressed look when the Arrancars shot up into the sky, battle ready.</p>
<p>“I sent myself,” Zaraki yelled, his pupils blown wide and his hair bells jingling, excited for the first worthy battle in a long time. “Let’s kill them!”</p>
<p>And that was the end of the strategy discussion.</p>
<p>They had paired off with an opponent each. Rangiku had ended up with the plump one with brown curls. She had forgotten his name, but Hell, he had been a fighter, more skilled than expected.</p>
<p>Rangiku defeated him eventually, but not without taking several blows to the head and falling out of the sky to the hard gravel below.</p>
<p>She had lost consciousness for a while, she didn’t know exactly how long, but she had woken up to Toshiro and Isane hovering over her. Toshiro had looked so worried, but Isane was calmly going about treating her injuries.</p>
<p>“Hey,” Rangiku had slurred when she woke up. She sent Toshiro a wink. “How you doin’?”</p>
<p>“How am I doing?” Toshiro repeated, unamused and voice screechy. “I’m about to go into cardiac arrest, Matsumoto!”</p>
<p>Isane frowned and paused in treating Rangiku for moment to press her palm to Toshiro’s chest.</p>
<p>“No, you’re not,” Isane decided, removing her hand when Toshiro shook her off.</p>
<p>“It’s an expression,” Toshiro bit. “<em>Someone,</em> and by someone I mean <em>you</em>, Matsumoto, scared the afterlife out of me.”</p>
<p>“Soz ‘bout that,” Rangiku groaned, sitting up, despite Isane’s protests.</p>
<p>Around her, her vision blurred and spun.</p>
<p>“You’re severely concussed,” Isane told her. “Take it slow.”</p>
<p>Apparently she had also broken her arm and several ribs, and also was potentially bleeding internally. It was all very painful.</p>
<p>“I’ve set the bones but you’ll need to rest to let them properly heal,” Isane advised. “You will have to come back to the Forth for me to properly scan for internal bleeding, and you’ll need to spend the night so we can observe if any of your injuries aren’t responding to our treatment. I’ve called for a support team to transfer everyone back to the hospital, they should be here soon.”</p>
<p>“Thank you,” Toshiro said to Isane who nodded and walked away, presumably to treat the others.</p>
<p>Apparently Rukia and Ikkaku had been pretty badly injured too, but Rangiku was worst off. At least, that’s how her captain acting.</p>
<p>When Isane moved away, Toshiro moved in, his arm wrapping around her back to help her sit up, and Rangiku leaned into him, feeling the dizziness start to turn to nausea.</p>
<p>“Did we get ‘em?” she asked, voice still slurring.</p>
<p>“Certainly did,” Toshiro murmured back, squeezing her gently.</p>
<p>Rangiku started to giggle at that, but she didn’t know why. There was just something so funny about being held and cared for by her icy captain.</p>
<p>This man was not the cold-hearted captain people made him out to be.</p>
<p>“You’re a softie,” she giggled, reaching up to run her fingers over his face. His skin was soft, just like a peach.</p>
<p>“I can assure you I am no such thing, Matsumoto,” Toshiro argued, grabbing her hand and pushing away from his face.</p>
<p>“You’re a warm, little softie,” Rangiku sung louder.</p>
<p>“Little?” Toshiro choked. “I’m just as tall as you now, Lieutenant.”</p>
<p>“Skinny boy,” Rangiku sung, throwing her head back dramatically and forcing Toshiro catch her before she hit it on the ground.</p>
<p>“Careful,” he glared at her.</p>
<p>Rangiku giggled. She felt drunk, but with a headache, like the hangover had hit before she had even stopped drinking. She supposed that’s how concussions worked.</p>
<p>Rangiku continued to sing (‘Soft boy, warm boy, captain full of ice. Skinny boy, little boy, Toshiro’s really nice’) while Toshiro tried desperately to shush her. Eventually, when her limbs started to flail with a made up dance to go with her new song, Toshiro grew frustrated and pulled her into his lap, hugging all of her limbs close.</p>
<p>“Lieutenant Kotetsu just healed you,” he reprimanded. “Don’t undo her good work.”</p>
<p>Rangiku stared up at him through wide eyes, like she was seeing him again for the first time. He was soft and caring, so cute and adorable, but also <em>that jaw!</em> When had he grown up? When had that sharp jawline come in? If she squinted, she could see the stubble he had shaved away.</p>
<p>Rangiku poked Toshiro harshly in the jaw.</p>
<p>“When did you get that?” she asked him.</p>
<p>Toshiro leaned his head away and rolled his eyes, growing visibly impatient.</p>
<p>“It’s my jaw, I’ve always had it,” he spoke tonelessly. “It’s more defined now because that’s what adulthood does. Yes, there’s stubble. Yes, I shave. We go through this every time you drink, Matsumoto. It’s my face, okay?”</p>
<p>“Am I drunk?” Rangiku asked, surprised. When had that happened?</p>
<p>“No, you’re concussed,” Toshiro sighed. “Big Arrancar battle, remember?”</p>
<p>Well now that seemed vaguely familiar but the thought was gone from Rangiku’s mind as quickly as it came, because her eyes found her captain’s jawline again.</p>
<p>“Mamma Mia!” she cried. “You got hot, Sir!”</p>
<p>“Mamma wha-I got what?!” Toshiro spluttered, cheeks going that adorable shade of red that it did when Rangiku teased him.</p>
<p>Gods he was cute. Rangiku giggled and reached up to feel that delicious jawline.</p>
<p>She felt like kissing it.</p>
<p>Concussed but determined, Rangiku reached up lips first to press them against the sharp jawline of her captain but just as she almost reached him, her captain turned to look at her in confusion. Instead of lips on jaw, lips landed on lips.</p>
<p>Softer than the first time she had accidentally landed lips first on him, but quicker as Toshiro was able to pull back much faster.</p>
<p>He looked alarmed, his face bright red as he looked away.</p>
<p>“Sorry,” Rangiku frowned; this was all happening in slow dizzy-motion for her.</p>
<p>“It’s fine,” Toshiro sighed but Rangiku got the distinct feeling it wasn’t.</p>
<p>He had caught her head then and tucked it under his chin, where she couldn’t reach up and kiss him. Rangiku felt sad about that, but she also felt sad about the nausea in her stomach. It felt like the world was tipping on its’ side and she held onto Toshiro’s yukata tightly, worried she was going to fall off the Soul Society Earth.</p>
<p>They didn’t mention the kiss after that. Rangiku even went to the length of pretending she had forgotten all about it in her concussed haze.</p>
<p>That had been hours ago now.</p>
<p>Isane’s support team came and Toshiro sent Rangiku off to the hospital with them while he went to see the Head Captain. When he had returned, Rangiku was sleeping, curtesy of the strong painkillers Unohana had given her. When Rangiku woke up, Toshiro was the one asleep, sitting in a chair and slumped over her bed, his head resting on his folded up arms, back in his uniform.</p>
<p>Flowers and her favourite magazine sat on the table beside him and Rangiku grinned knowing he had brought them for her.</p>
<p>At least he had forgiven that accidental kiss. All four of them, at this point.</p><hr/>
<p>5.</p>
<p>
  <em>The fifth time Rangiku accidentally kissed her boss, it was definitely not her fault. It was Toshiro’s dumbass, adorable face that did it.</em>
</p>
<p>“I thought about what you said, Matsumoto,” Toshiro calm voice called her attention from the other side of his office. It was just audible over tapping of the captain’s paperwork brush on the edge of the ink pot.</p>
<p>Rangiku, who was horizontal on the office couch – as per usual – sighed happily, enjoying the peace of the office today. It was a warm afternoon outside but the breeze flowing gently through the windows was nice. It had only been a couple of weeks since her hospital stay post-Arrancar battle, but she was still milking the ‘light duties’ order Isane had placed on her.</p>
<p>“About what?” Rangiku asked.</p>
<p>“About Sara,” Toshiro answered, tone matter-of-fact. “I think I am going to ask her to dinner one night.”</p>
<p>Rangiku shot up on the couch, eyes widening as she stared at her captain in surprise.</p>
<p>“You’re going to ask her on a date?” she repeated dumbly.</p>
<p>Toshiro shrugged, “Isn’t that what you said I should do?”</p>
<p>“Well, yes I did,” Rangiku blinked before her cheeky smile finally got over the shock and caught up with them. “I’m just surprised you took my advice.”</p>
<p>“She is nice,” Toshiro justified, turning back to his paperwork.</p>
<p>“And pretty,” Rangiku added.</p>
<p>“Smart too,” Toshiro agreed, tapping his brush against the ink pot again.</p>
<p>“When are you going to ask her out?” Rangiku got onto her knees and leaned over the back of the couch like an excited child.</p>
<p>“Soon,” Toshiro nodded.</p>
<p>“Are you nervous?”</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>“Are you lying?”</p>
<p>Toshiro shot her a look over his paperwork, one that told Rangiku exactly what she suspected.</p>
<p>“Oh Captain, you’re so cute!” she gushed, giggling at Toshiro’s fresh blush. “Sara will say yes, don’t be nervous about that.”</p>
<p>“I’m not nervous about that,” Toshiro huffed, rolling his eyes. “I’m nervous about… you know, what comes after.”</p>
<p>“What? The date?” Rangiku frowned. “You’ll be fine, just buy her dinner, smile at her and tell those dumb jokes she seems to like so much.”</p>
<p>A little too much, to be honest. Nobody thought Toshiro was <em>that</em> funny, except maybe Rangiku but only because she had learned to understand his humour.</p>
<p>“I mean, physically,” Toshiro shifted uncomfortably in his desk chair. “I never know when it’s appropriate to hold hands or hug, or… kiss or whatever.”</p>
<p>Such an innocent man; a stupid, stupid innocent man.</p>
<p>Rangiku smirked; she knew her captain hadn’t been on many dates in his adult life, being too tied to his desk to tie himself to a partner. Rangiku, on the other hand, had plenty of experience.</p>
<p>“Come here, Sir,” Rangiku called him over. “I’ll show you something that works every time.”</p>
<p>Hesitating and looking highly concerned, Toshiro didn’t budge but Rangiku smiled hopefully at him and continued to beckon him over. Eventually, the captain cleared his throat and cautiously approached the couch. When he was close enough, Rangiku grabbed his sleeve and pulled him down to sit beside her.</p>
<p>“This is what you’re going to do,” Rangiku announced. “After dinner, take her to your favourite rooftop view of the Seireitei and when you’re sitting down together, you’re going to do the old ‘yawn and stretch’ move.”</p>
<p>“The what?”</p>
<p>“Yawn and stretch,” Rangiku repeated patiently. She then demonstrated, yawning and stretching her arm over her head. Casually, she let her arm fall back over Toshiro’s shoulders. “You see what I did there?”</p>
<p>“Very smooth,” Toshiro chuckled. “I assume I’m playing Sara in this role play?”</p>
<p>“Yes and you’re very pretty,” Rangiku smirked. “Now from here, you’re going to point out to your favourite places and whatnot.”</p>
<p>Toshiro rolled his eyes again but Rangiku ignored it.</p>
<p>“Gradually, you’ll pull her closer to your chest,” Rangiku continued, gently pulling Toshiro closer as she feigned pointing out to random buildings they couldn’t see, “until she’s tucked right into your side.”</p>
<p>Toshiro allowed himself to be pulled and soon Rangiku had him completely pressed into her side. It was strange to be in the ‘man’s position’ for this move she knew so well, but being close to Toshiro made it less awkward. It was natural almost, but that was probably due to years and years of trust and familiarity being built between them.</p>
<p>She could feel his toned body against hers and it was surprisingly warm. Just like the time they had kissed during ‘Spin the Bottle’. It made her think that maybe he wasn’t as physically icy as everyone assumed.</p>
<p>Toshiro glanced up at her, an impressed grin on his face.</p>
<p>“That’s very discreet, Matsumoto,” he conceded.</p>
<p>“I haven’t even shown you the best part yet,” Rangiku smirked.</p>
<p>“And what’s that?” Toshiro asked, visibly intrigued.</p>
<p>“Well from here,” Rangiku’s voice went a bit lower and she slowed down her speech, hoping Toshiro would get that it was supposed to be a bit of sexier moment than the previous. “You would brush the hair out of her face, and leave your hand cupping her cheek.”</p>
<p>She did exactly that to Toshiro to show him.</p>
<p>They were so close, it was impossible not to feel each other’s spiritual pressure that mingled with familiarity. She could smell the wintery scent he gave off, with the mint freshness that had become a source of comfort to her after all these years.</p>
<p>“You would let your eyes fall to her lips, and after a moment…” Rangiku murmured, her eyes falling to Toshiro’s lips. He was staring up at her, so invested in what she was teaching him.</p>
<p>
  <em>Just kiss her.</em>
</p>
<p>That is what Rangiku had meant to say. But did she? Oh no, of course not. Her stupid ass forgot for a moment that this was a practice run for Toshiro to try on his real date later.</p>
<p>So instead of saying ‘Just kiss her’, Rangiku just kissed him. <em>Accidentally.</em></p>
<p>Her lips came down on his and her eyes fluttered closed automatically. His lips were just as soft and warm as she remembered and before Rangiku could think, her lips started to move of their own accord. His too moved, for a just moment, but it was such a tender and beautiful moment.</p>
<p>He pulled back suddenly, as if coming to his senses, and Rangiku too pulled back, her eyes going wide. Neither of them had expected to do that.</p>
<p>An awkward silence passed over them as they stared at each other in confused shock for a moment.</p>
<p>Rangiku’s face very incredibly hot.</p>
<p>“So yeah,” Rangiku cleared her throat and stood abruptly. “That’s how it’s done.”</p>
<p>She didn’t wait for a response, if Toshiro even had one lined up, and quickly Rangiku fled the room.</p>
<p>It was probably not the best thing that she kissed her captain before he was due to ask another woman out but it was completely accidental.</p>
<p>
  <em>At what point could you start to consider that maybe five accidental kisses was too many for them all to be called an accident?</em>
</p>
<p>Rangiku found out later that her captain never did ask Sara on that date.</p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>+1.</p>
<p>
  <em>Okay, this time she could only blame herself and also alcohol.</em>
</p>
<p>Rangiku woke with a splitting headache, and an uncomfortable churn in her stomach. She knew as soon as her brain was conscious enough to register anything, that she was hungover.</p>
<p>The second thing she noticed was that she was on the office couch. The third thing was that it was far too bright in here.</p>
<p>Groaning loudly, Rangiku rolled onto her side but felt a shift of her weight that was too far over the edge of the couch that her body started slipping.</p>
<p>“Got you!” a woman’s voice called, and Rangiku yelped as multiple arms pushed her back onto the couch quickly.</p>
<p>Eyes snapping open, Rangiku came face to face with a smirking Rukia, and an annoyed Nanao – though that was Nanao’s standard expression, so there was a good chance she was actually just calm.</p>
<p>“What the Hell were you thinking, Rangiku?” Nanao shrieked.</p>
<p>Okay, definitely not calm.</p>
<p>“Too loud,” Rangiku groaned, clenching her eyes and bringing her hand up to rub her temple. “What have I said about shouting at me when I’m hungover?”</p>
<p>“What have I said about not over-drinking at work functions?!” Nanao hissed back.</p>
<p>Rangiku could only chuckle at that. Of course she had overdrunk; it was the most typical thing about her.</p>
<p>Slowly, memories from the night before came rolling back in. It had been an anniversary celebration for the end of the war (which one, Rangiku couldn’t remember). It had been at the First Division’s luxurious banquet hall, all captains and lieutenants were to attend. With the SWA as the party planners, Rangiku had made sure that the bar was to be well stocked.</p>
<p>“Come on, Nanao,” Rukia giggled. “Ran is feeling awful enough right now, she doesn’t need you yelling at her.”</p>
<p>“Listen to Rukia, Nanao,” Rangiku chuckled, stretching out on the couch. No remorse – she’d probably just danced on a table, maybe flashed the Head Captain, all things she could recover from. She rarely was genuinely embarrassed.</p>
<p>“Yeah, Nanao,” Rukia’s voice was teasing. “We can tell Rangiku all about how she kissed her captain later.”</p>
<p>“I kissed who now?” Rangiku lifted her head abruptly for that, slight frown on her face. <em>Surely not… </em></p>
<p>“Your captain,” Rukia confirmed through a laugh, turning to her with glee in her eyes. “You kissed Captain Hitsugaya and try to undress him in the middle of the dancefloor. It was quite a scene.”</p>
<p>“I did what?” Rangiku choked. Again?! Six times was too many times to accidentally kiss someone. Hell, one time had been too many.</p>
<p>“You kissed Captain Hitsugaya,” Nanao repeated, slower but not at all calmer. “You tried to take his pants off in the banquet hall.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, he was not happy with you,” Rukia hummed, “especially when you threw up on him.”</p>
<p>Rangiku’s eyes went wide with horror.</p>
<p>“I threw up on him?”</p>
<p>“Projectile,” Rukia confirmed casually. “With dinner in it. You know you really need to chew more?”</p>
<p>“Oh, images,” Nanao grimaced.</p>
<p>Rangiku sat up quickly, her hand coming to cover her mouth in shock. She searched her memories – anything to confirm it wasn’t true. She remembered dancing with Toshiro – she had been very drunk at that point. A slow song had come on, and she had demanded he dance with her, but she couldn’t remember if they had actually swayed together, or if he had just held her gradually becoming more and more limp body up. She remembered feeling his arms around her waist.</p>
<p>
  <em>“This is nice,” she had said.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“It would nicer if you could stand your own,” had been the dry reply.</em>
</p>
<p>She racked her brain to find any memory of what happened next, but the last thing she could remember was being helped onto the office couch by… was it, Shuuhei? Now she remembered kissing him…</p>
<p>“No, I couldn’t have kissed my Captain,” Rangiku shook her head in denial. “I definitely came home with Shuuhei. I kissed him here.”</p>
<p>“You can home with us,” Rukia corrected, “and Captain Hitsugaya. He did the… heavy lifting.”</p>
<p>Rangiku ignored the way Rukia’s eyes flickered over Rangiku’s much curvier body. It wasn’t an insult, but it was a joke she didn’t have time for right now.</p>
<p>“No, seriously,” Rangiku frowned and straightened. “Shuuhei was here and I kissed him. He was wearing the black and red Kimono.”</p>
<p>“That was me,” Nanao sighed tiredly, like this wasn’t the first time, and to be fair, it wasn’t.</p>
<p>Rangiku winced – gods, she really was awful with accidentally kissing people.</p>
<p>“Oh, Nanao,” Rangiku grimaced guiltily. “When I get a little drunk I tend to get a bit… <em>over-friendly</em>. I’m so sorry.”</p>
<p>“That’s okay,” Nanao pursed her lips and gave a resigned sigh.</p>
<p>“That’s alright,” Rukia added with a sheepish smile as she scratched her arm. Rangiku blanched - Rukia too?!</p>
<p>“That’s okay,” a familiar deep voice murmured from the door.</p>
<p>Rangiku’s eyes snapped to her captain. Toshiro was leaning against the threshold – how long he had been there, Rangiku wasn’t sure.</p>
<p>He was dressed in his uniform, ready to get on with the day. He looked tired, which he generally did if he didn’t get a full sleep. His eyes were… oddly unreadable. He didn’t look mad, so that was something, but he did look disappointed.</p>
<p>She remember vaguely seeing that disappointed look the night before, and how she didn’t like the look on him so she had tried to make him smile with a… with a kiss. <em>Oh shit.</em></p>
<p>“I’m sorry, Captain,” Rangiku grimaced. “I didn’t mean to be sick on you, or… or to kiss you.”</p>
<p>“That’s fine,” Toshiro’s voice was toneless, but that wasn’t out of the norm. “You were getting around.”</p>
<p>Now that was an insult, one Rangiku took with a grain of salt. She probably deserved that.</p>
<p>“Go have a shower,” Toshiro ordered, now making his way to his desk. “I expect you back within the hour to complete your overdue paperwork.”</p>
<p>Rangiku didn’t need to be told twice, and at that point, any opportunity to leave the room was a good one. Quickly, she scrambled to her feet, ignoring the painful throb in her head and the dizziness. She slipped out the door and didn’t wait to see if Nanao and Rukia had followed.</p>
<p>She was never drinking again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It had been a week since the drunken dancefloor incident. It had been a week since Toshiro had spoken to her.</p>
<p>Well he had spoken to her in that time, but not much, and it was with very little tone in his voice. Purely professional, yet it felt cold.</p>
<p>Rangiku had tried to apologise again, but Toshiro had told her to stop apologising because he had already let her off the hook. It didn’t feel that way though; Toshiro had accepted her apology verbally, and yet he seemed more annoyed as the days went on.</p>
<p>Maybe it was Captain Hitsugaya who had forgiven her, but Toshiro that was still livid? Maybe it was the other way around?</p>
<p>They had both copped teasing from everyone who had been at the banquet and had witnessed the incident. Rangiku laughed it off with everyone else (‘oh you guys know me, I can’t be stopped when there’s sake around’ – classic shameless Rangiku), but Toshiro was far less humoured by it all. In fact, he had frozen Renji into a solid brick of ice for a comment the redheaded lieutenant had made. The frozen Renji-popsicle could still be seen in the Sixth Division garden as apparently Toshiro hadn’t felt forgiving enough to melt the ice and Byakuya didn’t seem to care his lieutenant was now a featured sculpture on their squad grounds.</p>
<p>One part of Toshiro was obviously still furious at the situation, and as much as Rangiku hoped time would heal things, the captain had grown no less icy about the night and in fact, seemed to progress to avoiding spending any time with her at all.</p>
<p>“I’m going to go train,” he announced abruptly that day, the minute Rangiku sat down at her desk to do paperwork for the first time since the banquet.</p>
<p>Enough was enough – Rangiku missed her captain.</p>
<p>“Alright, what’s wrong?” Rangiku huffed. “You have been so cold to me since the banquet.”</p>
<p>Toshiro shot her a glare of pure death.</p>
<p>“We’re not discussing this again,” he stated firmly, picking up his sword and swinging it over his back.</p>
<p>He headed for the door but Rangiku was quicker, standing and shooting a quick kido at the door. Faster than Toshiro could reach it, golden ropes of light wrapped around the handle and bound the door to the frame.</p>
<p>“You know I can undo this,” Toshiro sighed, flicking the light spell like it was a flimsy piece of string and to be fair, it probably was to him since Rangiku wasn’t great at kido and Toshiro was a prodigy at it.</p>
<p>“I hate this,” Rangiku said instead of addressing the kido spell issue. “We’re a team, Captain. More than that, we’re friends, and now you can’t stand to even look at me?”</p>
<p>“Friends?” Toshiro spat, turning back to her, eyes full of ire she hadn’t seen directed at her before. Well, he was usually angry when he looked at her but this time it was different somehow. She couldn’t work it out.</p>
<p>“Yeah,<em> friends</em>,” Rangiku repeated. “People who trust each other and have fun with each other. People who tell each other the truth when they’re angry or upset about something.”</p>
<p>“I’m not angry, Matsumoto,” Toshiro replied <em>angrily</em>, funnily enough. She shot him a knowing look and he pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled, something he only did when she pushed his buttons.</p>
<p>“No?” Rangiku questioned doubtfully. “You’re not angry that I embarrassed you in front of the rest of the Gotei Thirteen leaders?”</p>
<p>“I don’t care what they think of me,” Toshiro rebutted. “I never have.”</p>
<p>That might have been true, but the man was still a raging ice-flame of fury.</p>
<p>“You’re not angry that I threw up on you?” Rangiku tested again, though she suspected where the real issue was going to lie.</p>
<p>You could only accidentally kiss someone so many times before they snapped.</p>
<p>“You’ve thrown up on me exactly thirty-seven times now,” Toshiro scoffed. “I’m used to it.”</p>
<p>Rangiku didn’t love that.</p>
<p>“So you’re angry that I kissed you then?” Rangiku accused.</p>
<p>Toshiro snorted at that, but there was no humour in it.</p>
<p>“Which time?” he asked, voice full of sarcasm and venom.</p>
<p>She remembered then, the comment he had made the morning after the banquet about her ‘getting around’.</p>
<p>“Or maybe you’re angry that I kissed Nanao and Rukia as well as you?” she poked.</p>
<p>It was like throwing fuel on a fire, except if that fire was made of ice.</p>
<p>Immediately the room plunged into minus-degree temperatures but Rangiku didn’t flinch or shiver. She refused to. She was angry, he was angry, but neither were backing down until this issue was resolved.</p>
<p>Was it a jealousy thing? Rangiku found it hard to believe for a number of reasons.</p>
<p>Firstly, her kissing Nanao and Rukia was a stupid drunken mishap – it obviously meant nothing to any of them. Even if Nanao had turned out to be Shuuhei like she had thought, that still would have meant nothing since Shuuhei was pretty much just a male Nanao to Rangiku. They were her friends and sometimes friends kiss when they’re all drunk and single and having a bit of a laugh. It was harmless.</p>
<p>The second reason her captain being jealous was hard to believe was because that would have to imply he had feelings for her which would be ridiculous. He obviously didn’t, so…</p>
<p>Toshiro didn’t have feelings for her, right?</p>
<p>Something fell in Rangiku’s stomach as she glanced up at those familiar teal eyes. They weren’t furious at all… they were hurt. She knew it was true the moment she recognised the emotion in his irises.</p>
<p>For a moment, the whole world was silent. Rangiku could hear the sound of her own heart pounding.</p>
<p>Eventually, Toshiro spoke.</p>
<p>“You didn’t kiss me at the banquet,” Toshiro told her at last, his voice shaking with barely controlled fury. “You kissed Ichimaru.”</p>
<p>Rangiku blinked. “Gin?”</p>
<p>That was impossible, Gin Ichimaru was dead. A fact she was painfully aware of since she had literally held his body as he passed on.</p>
<p>“Exactly,” Toshiro confirmed. “You called me ‘Gin’, and then shoved your tongue down my throat. You were kissing him, not me.”</p>
<p>Rangiku couldn’t remember the kiss, but she sure as hell remembered the look of disappointment on her captain’s face.</p>
<p>Suddenly it all made sense. She must have been so drunk, she had called him by her ex-lover’s name. It would have been an accident, one she wouldn’t have even realised she had done, but factoring in that maybe her captain had feelings for her, she could see why it would have hurt him. Oblivious to her drunken error, Rangiku must have seen the disappointed look on his face and tried to kiss it off him.</p>
<p>“I-I didn’t-” Rangiku tried to explain.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry that you lost him, I really am Rangiku,” Toshiro spoke quickly and now Rangiku could hear the pain clearly. “I know you loved him and you miss him, but I am not him and I will never be him. Don’t you dare try to replace him with me.”</p>
<p>There was a thick lump in Rangiku’s throat. She couldn’t reply, and she didn’t even know where she could begin.</p>
<p>Toshiro stared her down but he didn’t move. He could have left then – slice the kido ropes with his sword and escape but he didn’t. He was waiting.</p>
<p>Rangiku looked down for a moment. She could remember now calling him Gin, but that was just it – she hadn’t been calling Toshiro ‘Gin’, he had misinterpreted it.</p>
<p>
  <em>Rangiku was drunkenly slumped in her chair, hand loosely wrapped around a sake cup that was dangerously close to falling out of her hand.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Come on, Matsumoto,” a familiar voice called, and cool hands plucked the cup out of her hand and wrapped around her waist, lifting her into a standing position. “Time to go home.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Dance with me, Captain,” Rangiku slurred, swaying her body in Toshiro’s arms.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“It’s home time,” Toshiro’s chuckle was like an angel singing and Rangiku hummed, nuzzling his neck.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“One dance,” she argued. “Please, Captain?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She didn’t see the eye roll, but she knew it was there.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“One dance,” Toshiro agreed surprisingly easy. “Then you’re going to bed.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Rangiku grinned at that, and found enough strength to hold herself up as she pulled him out onto the busy dancefloor. She was excited to dance with him, and even more so that he didn’t seem all that reluctant about it.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>They made it onto the dance floor and Rangiku wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning heavily on him as he held her hips and helped her sway.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“This is nice,” she hummed happily.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“It would nicer if you could stand your own,” Toshiro had chuckled back, his arms tightening around her.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The song was pretty. It was slow and melodic – familiar. She recognised it from somewhere and was racking her mind to find it. She recalled being young and warm, another smooth voice was singing it. She remembered then – a memory from her childhood.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Gin,” she murmured sadly into Toshiro’s shoulder.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The swaying stuttered to a stop then and Rangiku frowned, lifting her head to ask why her Captain had stopped dancing with her. One look at his face and Rangiku felt her protective instincts flair. He looked sad. He looked crushed really, entirely disappointed. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Rangiku couldn’t have that, not on her gorgeous Captain’s face. No, she had to fix it.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Reaching up to hold his jaw, Rangiku pressed her lips firmly against his, slipping in her tongue straight away.</em>
</p>
<p>Things after that had quickly spiralled. Toshiro had pushed her off him, so Rangiku thought her kiss wasn’t doing enough for him. She drunkenly thought undoing his obi tie holding his pants up would be a good idea to cheer him up. Luckily (or not), for all of them, Rangiku’s insane alcohol consumption had quickly caught up with her, and she had vomited all over the both of them.</p>
<p>But the point was, Rangiku hadn’t called Toshiro by her ex-lover’s last name. Also, her kissing him hadn’t been an accident – she had very much done it on purpose.</p>
<p>When the song had come on, she had recognised it from one Gin used to sing to her. Toshiro had been there and she had so badly wanted to be close with him like she had been with Gin. Not because they were similar, but because her feelings towards each of them were similar.</p>
<p>Romantic feelings. Love feelings.</p>
<p>Rangiku wanted to feel her captain’s arms around her like she had on their undercover mission. She wanted to taste the man’s tongue again, like she had at Orihime’s party. She wanted to feel the warmth of his lips, like she had that afternoon on the couch.</p>
<p>“I didn’t kiss you because I thought you were Gin,” Rangiku murmured softly, as she looked back up at her captain. “I kissed you because I wanted to kiss you.”</p>
<p>She swallowed heavily as Toshiro regarded her.</p>
<p>“I don’t believe that,” he murmured, pained, like he so badly wanted to. He shook his head and turned away from her.</p>
<p>His fingers merely touched the kido ropes and they froze solid. With a snap of his fingers the icy shattered and disappeared, unblocking the door.</p>
<p>“How many times do I need to fake accidentally kissing you for you to realise that I’m in love with you?” Rangiku called out to him, her voice raw and hoarse, the realisation dawning on her as it spilled from her lips.</p>
<p>As much as she wanted to say they had all been accidents, not even Rangiku was stupid enough to believe that. The first one could have been an accident, sure. The second one, maybe. Come the third, she had to stop kidding herself. She had wanted to kiss him, she had kissed him, and yeah, she wanted to kiss him again.</p>
<p>“Maybe when they stop being accidents,” Toshiro shot back over his shoulder.</p>
<p>Well if that’s what he wanted, Rangiku could meet that challenge.</p>
<p>She marched up to her captain, pulling his hand from the door handle and turning him to face her. He looked shocked, but not as much as he did when she grabbed his face in both hands and crushed her lips against his.</p>
<p>She pressed hard, not relenting. It took a few moments but Toshiro eventually responded.</p>
<p>Arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her close, lips moved too. He pressed back and Rangiku gave way, letting him take over the dominance of the kiss. He kissed her fiercely, hungrily and Rangiku melted right into it. They had kissed before but it had never been so raw and needy before, nor so full of emotion.</p>
<p>Again, he squeezed her ass and Rangiku gasped in surprised pleasure. As she did, Toshiro’s tongue slipped into her mouth. She moaned softly as their tongues danced and stroked each other, and as Toshiro’s fists tugged her clothes with gentle jolts, like he was only just restraining from ripping them off her.</p>
<p>They kissed until they were breathless, and then they kissed a little more.</p>
<p>The sun was setting when they eventually stopped and somehow they had ended up in a pile of limbs on the office floor.</p>
<p>Rangiku rested her forehead against Toshiro’s as they tried to regain their breathing.</p>
<p>“That wasn’t an accident,” she panted.</p>
<p>“I know,” he swallowed, agreeing easily after that performance.</p>
<p>“You’re the only one I want to kiss,” Rangiku murmured against his face, her arms tightening around his neck, refusing to let him go.</p>
<p>His arms around her squeezed gently and Rangiku could see that stupidly adorable grin sliding back onto his face.</p>
<p>“Good,” he breathed. “You’re the only one I want to kiss too.”</p>
<p>Rangiku tried to fight back the smile that came with that comment but she couldn’t. She hid it from him though, tucking her head under his chin and burying her face into his neck.</p>
<p>“Good,” was her returned muffled comment and she felt Toshiro’s chuckle in his chest.</p>
<p>He pressed a soft peck to her crown.</p>
<p>“I’m in love with you too,” he murmured, his fingers tracing light patterns on her back absentmindedly.</p>
<p>Rangiku grinned into him.</p>
<p>Who knew it was going to take five accidental and one purposeful kiss to get them to admit their feelings for each other?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A few cheeky extra kisses thrown in there in the end ;) Thanks for reading! Please kudos and comment if you get a chance :)</p>
<p>If you would like to join our Bleach community Discord Server (and gush HitsuMatsu with me), use the joining code: https://discord.gg/Zh8N2Ra</p>
<p>Also, if you would like to follow my progress with current fics or see what I’ve got coming up in future, check out my Trello board! You can find it here: https://trello.com/b/TTqjniOD</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>